They say she was a keeper, both in sports and in personality. They say that you were supposed to hold her out of the arms of danger because if you didn't, she'd head to fight it before you could bling.
Holly Norris, sister of Formula 1 driver Lando...
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Holly Norris had learnt to live alone since the age of eighteen, straight out of college. A lot of people had been alone before that but she was fortunate enough to have a stable family who could provide for her. Since they lived in Somerset at the time, it was too far for Holly to travel every day once she got high in the bigger football clubs so she moved out with the help of her parents.
She would be grateful for their help every day as she lived the exciting but stressful life she did. There were downsides to her life, like the lack of privacy (though it wasn't quite as bad as male footballers yet in the big leagues), and the inability to do all the things she wanted because she had training or games etc.
If Holly was honest, she knew she'd be able to retire reasonably young and go on to do commentary and media work instead. As a gold keeper, it was more strain on her body in terms of bruises and potentially broken bones and it wasn't an easy career to have with kids in her personal opinion (though she knew a lot managed it and it wasn't like it was in Holly's future right now).
Holly was glad to be back home in Cobham, Surrey. As adored her parents, she loved her own space and she liked to be back with her best friend too. Emilia Jones daycare worker at a very wealthy centre, having done very well at school and in training. Since she didn't get along with her parents very well, she had no thoughts when it came to moving out of Somerset.
Emilia had been Holly's best friend since she was eleven years old. Holly had always been a pretty girl and fairly likeable so she'd had a lot of friends throughout school. It was only when she started to really get into football more and more that her friend had less and less to do with her. They claimed it to be 'too much effort' to find time to hand it out and only Emilia stuck around.
Emilia was a polite woman, not particularly shy but not overconfident either. She just took things as they came and made sure everyone was treated with respect. She had ME, which was Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, so Holly was always careful to make sure she didn't pressure Emilia into anything she couldn't physically do. Even so, they spent plenty of time together.
"—Then Annabeth said she couldn't do the next shift because she had booked a holiday...but didn't tell any of us or the management so now she's mad because they're telling her she needs to make up the hours—" Emilia Jones ranted.
"If I booked a holiday, I think I'd get kicked off the team," Holly chuckled. "It's absolutely mad!"
"Your job is a little different, Holls!" Emilia grinned.
Holly was on her running machine, something that was a valuable item in her home. It meant she didn't have to go to public gyms and could manage herself at home before team training. Emilia was sitting on the sofa across from her drinking Starbucks (which Holly found painful).
"Sometimes I do wish I had something a little less strict, y'know?" Holly signed. "I'd love to see Lando race more and Flo's shows...I don't see Cisca as much as I should. I feel like a bad sister sometimes."
"You give yourself too much of a hard time, they know you're busy! Just like they all are," Emilia insisted. "My bro only visits me once a year."
"Yeah but Eddie lives in New York, I live in the same country," Holly reminded.
"Holly, you're in a job that requires sacrifices, that's just the way it is. When you retire, you can do whatever you want!" Emilia emphasised. "When do footballers retire anyway."
"When they have enough money too, idiot," Holly snorted as she turned down the treadmill. "I can live without the football from my brand deals but I love to play. I didn't get into this for the money, trust me, because there never used to be any! Winning the Euro's really helped us."
"You did amazing in Euro's," Emilia replied with a nod.
Holly hummed in reply as she chugged some water and ushered Emilia towards the living room. It was messy since that's just the type of person Holly was; she was someone who collected ornaments because 'they looked cute' or had too many blankets to count. She could be the odd bit chaotic with her slightly forgetfulness — she had so many reminders on her phone — but she managed.
"I know what will solve your problem...get a cat!" Emilia offered.
"A cat?"
"A cat...called...uh....Lando?"
"Naming a cat after my brother will not solve my problems. What am I going to do when I go to Australia for the world cup?" Holly questioned.
"I see your point," Emilia held her hands up. "Seriously though, stop being hard on yourself. You and Lando are so alike."
"I know," Holly smiled. "I forgot to ask if you wanted tickets to our match against Aston Villa?"
"Of course I do!"
One thing about Emilia is that she was a big football fan, even before she met Holly. It was something she and her brother always did together so when Holly signed, you could only imagine how thrilled Emilia was. Emilia had booked time off just in case England got through to the World Cup final and she would fly out to see it.
"Lando has offered for you to come with me to Baku as well?" Holly added."Free flights due to my new beautiful sponsorship deal."
"You are so lucky I'm a position where I don't need the extra shifts," Emilia groaned. "Fine. Only because I find Lewis Hamilton fit."
"I'll get Lando to pass on the message—"
"No thank you!"
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It's a short one but it's all I could manage on my short schedule! Next chapter will be longer.
